FAQ

Where do you begin? How do you work with me? (or is that me with you!).

Every client has the same type of questions. These simple answers will assist understanding the process….

I can’t design, can you do it for me?

Yes. Just tell us what you want, give us some of your sketches or what you want the item to do and we’ll get to it.

Everything is started as a sketch, then modeled in sketchup. Each piece is then exported to CutList Pro and fabricated from there. It’s 100.0000% exact.

We WILL NOT copy things from the internet. Everything we make is original and our own work…. or your own. There are logical exemptions to this stricture: purchased plans, open source projects, community projects, obvious and/or generic plans (such as speakers, bee hives, etc).

What wood do you use?

We have a wide range of timbers available at all times but the they can vary depending on availability from the suppliers. (They are natural resources and depending on your choice of timbers prices may change.) Contact us for an updated list of timbers and pictures if required. We have a very long list of profoundly great timbers in stock.

We work with ply, MDF, veneers, real wood, acrylics, leathers, fabrics and synthetics. We are also experimenting with the newer artificial materials such as HI-MACs, Tricoya and Baltic birch ply (its void free!).

We are not ashamed to work with ordinary pine, MDF and high quality ply (our supplier is Timberwood Panels), so if you wish to keep costs down or simply appreciate these materials, you wont get any resistance from us….

You are welcome to ship us your own selected timber (old tree from the back yard? Something in grandpas old shed?). Many knife makers do this – their box timbers or feature fittings match the handles of their knives.

What paints and finishes are available?

Well. Long list this one, but if it can be brushed, wiped or sprayed we’ve done it.

— Livos Kunos would have to be the SEXIEST oil finish in the history of all finishes. It feels just like silk. Its near magic.

— We use blonde dewaxed shellac for our french polishing. We are VERY GOOD at this. Its an exercise in patience and care. The end result is simply irreproducible in look with any modern finish.

— Polyurethane is sprayed with 5 to 8 coats. It is then “rubbed back” and polished into a dead flat, highly lusterous and incredibly hard wearing long term finish. It is MUCH quicker than French Polishing and the results are outstanding. It is one of our favourites.

— Oil paints. Once we used to curse them, but now we love them. A combo of Haymes Tricoat for sealer/filler/undercoat, sanded perfectly dead flat, then two/three coats of professional Dulux/Hayme oils for colour and depth and you’ll be asking us to repaint your car… the end result is incredible. Certainly not your home house paint!

Do you supply unpainted/unfinished work? (i.e. “can I do that part myself?”)

Absolutely! Just let us know beforehand and we can send it your way. We will also happily give you some tips, tricks and provide suggestions on products/tools/materials you can use to achieve what you want.

Can I supply my own wood?

Yes, you will have to cover the cost of shipping but we are more than happy to use whatever timbers or materials you want to provide us with.

Do you work with others?

Yes. All the time.

We have a 2HP professional 1 metre bed lathe, lasers, a CNC capability and a profoundly accurate cutting solution for sheet goods. We’ve also every sanding solution ever invented…. 🙂

We routinely prefabricate projects for others. This is where we started! We made the underlying things for literally EVERY Etsy seller, market seller and home artisan in the kid/child/mum space. We make chairs, tables, bookends, coat racks, clothes pegs, dolls houses, display boxes, castles, car garages, towers, volcanos, rainbows…. well, over 165 seperate things. The businesses would then embellish our items for sale.

How long do you take?

Orders are usually shipped within 3-6 weeks. We work on a first in first served basis. We will let you know if the delivery period is potentially going to be extended.

Can I change my mind part way through?

Possibly. Probably. No. It is doable depending on which stage of the project we are currently working on. Too drastic a change and the project may have to be scrapped and restarted. Our design process has been developed in order to reduce the chances of edits being made after production has begun. What you see in SketchUp at the sign off stage is exactly what you’ll receive at the end.

We are artists, so therefore temperamental with changes. We do it, but may pout a bit and have a short tantrum 🙂